Should You Wash Towels With Clothing And Other Linens?

Sometimes, during your weekly home reset, the easy way out is not always the smartest route. That includes washing all of your towels with the rest of your laundry. Believe it or not, washing and drying your towels with your clothing and linens could do a lot more damage to your clothes than you might think.

We’ve asked two cleaning experts for their take on why you should wash your towels separately, their best tips for washing towels, what to avoid, and more. 

Should Towels Be Washed Separately?

You definitely want to wash towels separately from clothing and other linens, says Matthews. Despite the fact that towels don’t fit into a one-size-fits-all use category—there are kitchen towels, bath towels, and cleaning towels.

“For one, your other clothes and sheets will get lint and fibers on them from being washed with towels,” she explains. “Towels should be washed on a heavier cycle, without fabric softener, in hot water."

How Can Towels Damage Clothes?

“Towels are a heavier fabric, and when washed with lightweight, more delicate fabrics, the heaviness of the towels can pull on or twist around those fabrics, tearing or stretching them out of shape,” explains Booth.

Additionally, Matthews says, towels take much longer to dry than your clothes. If dried together, the longer drying cycle “could cause clothing and other items to shrink.”

Can Towels Be Washed With Bedding? 

It’s not a good idea to wash your towels with your bedding because your towels can get pretty dirty. “You don’t want to wash towels that have been used to clean up food, pets, or other dirty job messes with your clothing or bed linens,” explains Booth. “You run the risk of transferring bacteria or stains onto your other wash items.”

Four Tips For Washing Towels

Wash New Towels Before Use

Always be sure to wash new towels before using them, possibly even a couple of times. This will disinfect them from any germs they may have picked up while sitting on a store shelf. It will also make sure they are absorbent—manufacturers will often coat the towels with finishes that will make them feel softer but lessen how much water they can soak up.

Consider The Purpose

Wash towels together that serve the same purpose. For example, only wash kitchen towels with kitchen towels, cleaning towels with cleaning towels, and bath towels with bath towels. This will lessen the potential cross-contamination of germs. Also, it will help keep the fibers of towels with different weights and fabrics from breaking down. 

Keep Colors Separate From Lights

Separate light colors from dark to prevent color transfer. “Wash white or very light fabrics in hot water, and mid-tone, bright, and dark colors in warm water,” suggests Booth. 

Try Adding Other Cleaners To The Mix

“A small amount of white vinegar added to a hot wash cycle can help enhance color brightness, reduce musty smells, and remove excess buildup,” Matthews says. Adds Booth, “If you have hard water, add 1/2 cup of baking soda directly to the drum to soften the water and help the detergent work better.”

Mistakes To Avoid

Skip Large Loads

Make sure you don’t overfill the washing machine. Booth recommends filling the drum no more than half full because of how heavy towels become once they’re wet. “Residential washing machines are not built to withstand heavy loads like commercial machines,” she explains.

An overloaded machine will become unbalanced, and nothing will properly be cleaned. Seams could unravel and wear out faster, there could not be enough room for fabrics to be thoroughly washed, and your machine may not be able to fully spin out all the moisture, causing it to work harder. 

In addition to understanding the capacity of your machine, you should also be careful to not use too much detergent, Matthews says. “Using too much detergent will not get your towels cleaner and will only leave buildup.” 

Don't Overload The Dryer Either

Just like your washing machine, you don’t want to overload your dryer. The towels need space for airflow and to tumble. The more towels in the dryer at one time, the more likely they’ll come out damp. To help the process, clean out your dryer’s lint trap and add three dryer balls to the machine to fluff the towels, reducing drying time and static. 

Avoid Fabric Softeners

Booth highly recommends avoiding traditional fabric softeners. “They contain fiber-lubricating silicones, which makes everything it comes in contact with basically waterproof and more flammable, even after going through your washing machine rinse cycle,” she says. “If you have a hard time breaking up with your favorite fabric softener, avoid using it on kitchen towels and microfiber towels.”